


Her Soul Was in the Wrong Place

by CreativeCalavera



Series: A Warped Caretaker [2]
Category: Dreamtale - Fandom, Underfell - Fandom, Undertale (Video Game), underswap
Genre: F/M, Gaster will pine for OC but never mutual, Not a Love Story, Original Character will get tired over timelines, Original Character will never have feelings towards the Skeleton brothers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:28:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 11,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22537030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreativeCalavera/pseuds/CreativeCalavera
Summary: Book 2.After Sans' experiment, the Skeleton family was transported to another world, or another timeline. Their mum Calypso struggles to get them back home. She and Sans work together to understand the reality and make personal sacrifices. However, Calypso feels unsettled yet fond towards a certain ghoul over time.Undertale belongs to Toby Fox.
Relationships: Asgore Dreemurr/Original Character(s), Papyrus (Undertale)/Original Character(s), Sans (Undertale)/Original Character(s), W. D. Gaster/Original Character(s)
Series: A Warped Caretaker [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1614217
Kudos: 11





	1. Roleplaying or Actually King

A human woman named Calypso was returning home after a physics conference. She was greeted by her Skeleton sons, Sans and Papyrus. Sans surprised her with his own research at a nearby university. However, Papyrus messed with the dials and affected the results. The Skeleton family found themselves on a different land where lava pools reside.

“What’s going on?” the woman thought.

In her arms, she held a small Skeleton monster, Papyrus. She was surrounded by a group of dog monsters in knight attire. One of them easily plucked Papyrus and handed him to Sans, who Calypso just noticed. He was still in his lab coat and goggles. After a huge flash of light in his laboratory, he was also confused at their current location. He quickly took Papyrus and held him, seeing the dog guards pulling the woman to her feet. She felt chains cuffing her wrists.

She shouted, questioning them. She received only a few quick barks before a carriage was summoned before her eyes. She was shoved into it. Sans was standing still, staring wide-eyed. One of the dog guards barked at Sans and he nodded, running into the carriage. As the carriage started moving, she noticed a huge castle nearing. The sky was completely black, besides the glowing light from the lava from earlier. There were bright streetlights and brightly colored houses. Papyrus started tearing up, confused and lost.

…

Calypso doesn’t understand what’s happening, having the dog monsters push her to her knees before Asgore. The last time she saw him was at the flower store. He had flower buttoned shirt and blue jeans, but now he held an intimidating stare. Not to mention a large trident in his hand.

“Muummm!!” Papyrus cried. He was being held by Sans, who held him tighter. Sans kept quiet, observing the situation and the environment. 

The goat monster was not the same as the store owner of Flower King.

Asgore was standing before her, but in a completely different attire and aura. His royal uniform reminds her of portraits hung in Toriel’s home. That was during Asgore’s roleplaying phase in college that his former wife made him quit.

Asgore frowned at Papyrus’ cries. He took a step forward and Cal raise her head. All around them was the concrete floors and brick walls.

“I think we’re in a castle,” she thought, squinting her eyes at Asgore. He doesn’t seem too relaxed with her. “That boy call you his mom. Is that true?” Cal nodded, noticing that he’s acting like a stranger. “Yes. I have raised those boys myself.” Asgore retreated his frown with a gentle, pained smile. “It appears so. Now please, tell me,” he paused, “How did you came about this castle?”

Cal glanced at Sans before nodding confidently. Sans relaxed a bit. Cal turned back to Asgore. “Well-…”

“My King!” A monster ran through the thick wooden doors with loose papers flying out from his arms. “The readings! The readings are past its peak a few minutes ago!” Asgore turn to the monster, “Gaster! Calm yourself! I’m in the middle of an interrogation.”

Calypso’s eyes met Gaster’s. He looks like a ghoul monster, a bit ghostly and more humanoid. Gaster shivered, “Another human? Here? There had been no reports.” Asgore sighed, “They’ve appeared by the hotlands. The guards have brought them here.”

Asgore gestured the guards to let the human stand up. “This is human…” Asgore eyed Cal for a name. She cleared her throat, “Cal- Calypso. Just Calypso.” “Human Calypso arrived to the castle with her two young boys, the Skeleton brothers.” Sans stiffened when Gaster glanced at their direction. Papyrus was quiet so far, sniffing from his earlier tantrum.

Gaster asked him, “A human with monster children?” Asgore nodded before turning to Cal. “Have you realized what you brought yourself into?”

Cal stared at Asgore with wide blank eyes, shaking her head. He sighed. The goat monster king grimly gazed at her. “You have appeared during the worst period. The banishment of monsters to the underground. That’s where you are now.”


	2. King's Intervention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asgore questioned the human before a ghoul monster interrupts him.

Sans and Cal froze. She snapped at the goat monster, “What banishment? From where we were, it wasn’t like this!” Sans motioned with his free hand to Calypso, trying to calm her down. She continued shouting, “Do you even _know_ me, Asgore?” The large goat monster granted her a confused look.

One of the dog guards barked and pushed Calypso to her knees. Papyrus whimpered. Gaster cleared his throat, “Please don’t misaddress _King_ Asgore. Do you even know how much mercy he’s granting to you right now?” Cal glared at him. He turned to Sans and noticed his lab coat and the pair of goggles on both the Skeletons’ heads.

Gaster quickly whispered to the King, “You’ve said they’ve appeared by the hotlands?” Asgore nodded. “If they appeared at the same time as these energy readings, it’s possible they are the cause. Whatever they did, we can use it to break the barrier.”

Asgore raise an eyebrow. He whispered back to the ghoul, “Without human souls?” Gaster nodded. This changes things. A glimmer of hope fluttered within the goat monster’s chest.

On the other hand, a nagging feeling of uncertainty bothered the Skeleton family. Calypso reviewed the recent events in her head. About an hour ago, Sans took her and Papyrus to his lab where he was doing research at a university without telling her. His group research had a strange machine where they use a laser, comprised of monster energy, shooting through a tiny speck of dark matter. When dark matter cannot be detected, Sans had a another idea from Kris, using matter from the "Dark World," or whatever Kris called it. 

An hour ago, Sans didn't think there would be drastic results. Like experiments with his team previously, no detected big change and the laser had a faint energy signature. After all, he was planning on showing his human mum a small detected result through the screen. Behind their backs, toddler Papyrus played with the dials and switches, changing the measure of the laser and other components, before Sans started his experiment.

Calypso didn't see Papyrus touching anything, so she doesn't remember the last part. When Sans turned on the machine, a flash of light blinded them and they found themselves on new land, teleported. Calypso, who was studying the physics of teleportation, was sarcastic about the sudden change in the environment, but being escorted by monster knights and being kept to her knees was not what she was expecting.

"That flash of light..." she thought, trying to make sense of everything. Her knees were hurting against the hard floor. Her eyes glanced around the throne room and saw the familiar Delta Rune symbol on the banners around the throne room. What didn't make sense was Asgore being a completely new person. A nerve suddenly flinched on her neck, breaking her out of her thoughts for a moment.

The woman, feeling sore, turned her head at a weird angle. One of the dog guards noticed and copied her movement, cocking on head to the side. The dog monsters’ ears caught a cracking sounds and turn to Calypso. She repeated the motion by turning her head the other way and cracked her neck. The dog guards flinched, panting and wagging their tails wildly. Calypso was deep in her thoughts, not noticing that she surprised the dog monsters.

“If we teleported with dark energy,” she thought, “we could be in a different world.” Her heart leaped at the thought, both from amazement and fear. Asgore finished his chat with Gaster and turn to Calypso.

The monster king quickly had the cuffs removed from Cal and turn to Sans and Papyrus. He went from a forced smile to an actual content mood. “Have you eaten? I’ll escort you to the dining room.” He turns to Gaster, “Let’s bring the human and her family for a quick lunch. You must come along.”

The monster scientist slightly bowed, “As you wish.”


	3. The Human, Two Skeletons, and a King. Oh, and that Jerk.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Skeleton family has teatime and lunch with the King. The royal scientist is not leaving a good impression on Calypso while he is bothered by her motherly nature towards Papyrus. Asgore made an announcement.

The walk through the castle felt like a tour at a haunted one. It was empty. Besides the occasional dog night standing duty or going on patrol, there was no one sitting in the library section, no sound of kids running around, and most doors were closed and webbed by spiders. By the time they reached to the dining table, Calypso expected the long formal ones from interior design magazines.

Nope. It was long, but it was a regular table for at most eight people. There was a small table by the corner, which was covered with dust and webs.

"Tea is served!" one of the monster servants said. Calypso almost jumped from her chair. Was this servant floating?!

Calypso glanced at the tea steaming from the cup. “Well, at least this Asgore likes tea,” Sans whispered to her. She nodded. Papyrus was sitting on her lap and she was rocking him by shaking her right leg. Papyrus felt more at ease. The changes around him, from the bright flash, lava pools, to seeing his mum being grabbed by dog monsters was overwhelming for him.

The monster king smiled at the smallest Skeleton. After taking a cup, he asked Calypso, “So, tell me, how did you not know about the war?”

She shrugged, “Politics aren’t our thing. We’re more into education and other stuff.” This reminded Papyrus about her return from the Lava Capitol's Physics conference.

Papyrus spread his arms wide, “Airplane!” Gaster raise an eyebrow, “What’s an airplane?” Cal flinched, now connecting all the dots.

The old-fashioned castle, dog monster knights, the formal speech of Asgore and his old-fashioned attire- She leaned towards Sans, “It’s a timeline.”

He replied with a loud, “HUH?” She shushed him before forcing a sheepish giggle. “Sans! Stop with the jokes! Gaster SHOULD know what an airplane is!” Sans was more confused with Cal improvising before Gaster and Asgore can suspect Cal.

Calypso quickly made up a half-lie. “An airplane is a prototype for an aircraft. Like mechanical birds. However, they’re too heavy and cannot flight.”

Gaster nodded, “Yes, that’s obvious. Like birds, it might be light and quick. Why would humans attempt with ridiculous things?”

Cal granted him sharp look, “Maybe it was the combined efforts of humans and _monster_ birds.”

Asgore loudly cleared his throat, “Well, then! The tea is getting cold. Have you tried it, lady Calypso?” She narrowed her eyes at Gaster before grabbing her cup and raising it to her lips. She gulped it down while Papyrus stared in awe. She slammed the cup down, making Gaster flinch. She smirked, “Like rich chamomile.” Asgore’s eyes sparkled, “Oh! So you _know_ tea too!”

Sans took a few sips. His eyes kept moving around, checking with his mother before glancing at the new monster sitting by Asgore. For now, Calypso is keeping a cool demeanor and distracting his brother. But, with the hushed whispers between Gaster and Asgore, he was worried for his mum. He had learned from history classes about the tensions between humans and monsters. Gaster was never mentioned in the textbooks. So, this new monster is a new factor to the current timeline. As Asgore hinted, it’s a dangerous place for humans to reside. If they take Calypso away for being human, he and Papyrus won’t be the same again.

“Sans.” The Skeleton monster flinched and turn to his mum, “Yeah?” She smiled, reaching out a hand and pat his head. “Don’t worry. Enjoy your tea.” He gulped and nodded, staring at the teacup.

Asgore cleared his throat, “So, your mother told me that you go to school. Are you liking it?” Sans blushed, feeling like a little kid. He knows that he is short, but he didn’t expect Asgore to talk in a easily-eager voice. It was similar to Cal’s “baby” voice.

During their chat, Gaster was multi-tasking by listening into Sans’ “liking school” and the kissy sounds of Calypso peppering on Papyrus’ head. He irked in annoyance. Seeing a public display of affection between a human mother and a monster kid disturbed him.

“Who’s a cute monster?” Cal gushed, “Who’s a cute little boy?” Papyrus started pushing her face away with his mittens, “Mum! Nooo!” A burst of giggles slipped through his skeleton mouth.

“And then we woke up here. I think the machine was broken.”

Gaster sharply turned to Sans, hearing his latest sentence. “Machine? What machine were you building it for?” Sans heavily sighed. He didn’t bother explaining his whole project to the King, but knew that the scientist will probe for more content on the subject. “I was showing mum my project. My team and I build a machine,” he paused, “and it broke. Whatever energy it spawn transported mum, my brother, and I to the... hotlands.”

Sans was lying. If he confesses that they were in a different timeline, the scientist might change his AGENDA with a malicious intent. For now, Calypso and Sans will keep their story as a secret human monster family that always lived underground.

…

After a slow conversation and a large lunch, Asgore led them through the hallway. Cal hooked Papyrus to her hip and pulled Sans to her other side. She knew Sans was worried. During their time in the underground, she was on high alert. If Papyrus had more awareness, he would notice the quick beating of her heart.

“I have open quarters for you. Despite your short arrival, monsters are catching rumors of a human spotted in the hotlands,” King Asgore explained, “That’s why it’s best for you and your family to reside here in the meantime.” Sans widen his eyes while his mum blushed. “Living at a castle?!” she thought, feeling the chilly air breeze through. The woman forced a smile and bowed, “Thank you, king.”

Gaster widen his eyes at the announcement. “But my King!” he leaned forward, “We shouldn’t trust them! Especially the human.”

Cal quirked an eyebrow. She said in a harsh tone, “I can hear you.” Gaster retreated to the back of Asgore while the king chuckled. “Let’s have you settled.”

The guards escorted the King and Calypso to another room. She saw an open crib that’s dusty and old. Asgore stroll to the nearby closet and took out a handful of long robes.

“In the underground, humans are reported to the authorities. I would declare you as harmless, but the monster citizens are still frightful after the war. Many may have impulsive aggression.” Cal felt his thick paws wrapping her head with a thick scarf. “This disguise will do. We have Person monsters. Like our River Person. Their faces are concealed under their hood. You’ll fit right in.”

Papyrus sniffed the scarf and sneezed. Asgore chuckled, “After laundry, of course.”


	4. A Slow Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asgore told Calypso about her new disguise and how to wear it. They went to the dining room for breakfast. He tells Calypso about the human souls.

After one full day of laundry, Asgore handed Calypso piles of hooded robes. The castles in the movies look luxurious, but after a night's stay in the underground, it was cold and vacant. At night, both her sons and she slept on the same bed. She would enjoy the family bonding, but they hogged two layers of the blanket.

The cold wasn't helping either. The castle is made of bricks, not vent or heating systems. It didn't affect the monsters as much, so Calypso noticed how fragile her body is with the sense of touch. One breeze and her body would shiver. That's why she slipped on a few layers of clothing before the final hooded robe. When she met Asgore again at the throne, she saw his fatherly side when he criticized how she wore. She thought one hood was enough to cover her face, but he beg to differ.

“I wonder if Toriel and Kris are here,” Calypso thought, noticing another throne chair in the lobby.

Asgore’s hands tidied Calypso’s robe. “Here, keep your head down like this,” he said, “You should still get a clear view.” The woman felt like a kid being dressed.

She pulled away from him, “Oh, cut it out! Don’t worry about it.” Asgore sighed, seeing her in a purple robe. She pulled her hood down, “I’ll put this on again when we go out.” Asgore heard Calypso’s stomach growl and chuckled. “Let’s go to the dining room,” he said, “I think the boys are there.” They walked together to the kitchen, where the Skeleton brothers were running around the table. Papyrus crawled away, moving faster as Sans found him and ran around the table. “Come ‘ere, Pap!”

Asgore immediately smiled, seeing the two small boys playing around. Calypso pressed her lips together, trying to keep her manners in check. Her mind wanted to pry about who else lives at the castle. She cleared her throat, “So, this castle’s pretty empty.”

Asgore nodded, finding the seat. “Yes. Most guards are out patrolling the kingdom.” She noticed a few golden flowers around the castle. She took a seat near Asgore. “Do you still garden?” the woman asked.

Immediately, she cursed at herself for saying the word, “still.”

Asgore blinked, “Oh, you know about my gardening hobby?” He blushed and fiddled with his fingers. “I know, it’s not _king_ -ly of me.”

“No, it’s fine.”

He turns to her, eyes widen. “It is?”

She nodded, not noticing how casual she is acting with a monster royalty. “I mean, you like doing it, right? Politics can be hard at time. Why not spend some energy on some hobbies?”

Asgore nodded. “You’re right, lady Calypso. Sometimes, I feel like if I wasn’t king, I would run my own flower shop.” The human smiled, remembering the Flower King shop. “Lemme know when you do,” she said, “I can be your first customer.” Asgore’s blush deepened and his eyes sparkled. "Really? I-."

A second after, his eyes dimmed with guilt. “I don’t deserve your friendliness,” he said. He gulped and she noticed. “After my wife left-.”

Calypso sweatdropped, thinking, “Oh damn, Toriel still left him in this timeline?”

“Gaster and I continued taking souls of humans,” Asgore said, pausing. He glanced at Calypso’s face. “We found that, before your arrival, human souls are required for Gaster’s machine to break the barrier.”

Her chest was immediately stung with fear and more confusion. She scratched the side of her cheek with one of her hands. “Really? Human souls can be taken out?” Asgore paused, noticing that the human was only concentrating on the logic than the moral side. He slowly nodded, “Yes. Gaster made a theory and, so far, we’ve extracted six souls.”

The woman tapped on the table with one hand and the other hand to her chin. “Huh, from what I know, a soul is a _spiritual_ embodiment,” she said, “So if a monster found a way to extract it _physically_ …”

“Y-You’re not mad?”

Calypso turned, seeing Asgore frowning. She noticed that he’s nervous. She reminded herself that he is only showing a softer side. Not the intimidating side when she first arrived at his castle. With her hand that was on her chin, she rubbed the back of her head.

“It already has been done, right?” she said, “and I never really heard anything about this before, so all of this is pretty new to me.”

Calypso wanted to ask a risky question. She wanted to ask, “If the machine fails, if the promises aren’t achievable, will you take my soul?” She doesn’t want a response to that. She needs to avoid the definite “yes.”

Asgore nodded, "Yes, well, you don't have to worry at the moment. Because of your son's recent incident, we'll look for his finding and rebuild the machine in Doctor Gaster's lab. All before another human falls, hopefully." She raised an eyebrow at his last remark.

Sans was frozen in shock, listening to their conversation. “Shams?” He turn to Papyrus, seeing him stare. His eyeholes gave Sans a concerned look. The older Skeleton smiled, “Oh, I’m fine. I’m just sleepy.”

Papyrus’ eyes sparkled. His hands start to twitch, and he hopped to Sans’ lap. “No sleep! Tickle you awake!” Sans didn’t feel tickled, but still reacted to the weak pokes on his sides. “Oh no! It’s working!”

Calypso and Asgore turn to the burst of laughter. They watched as the kids tickled together. Calypso remembered about the abandoned bay crib on one of the castle’s rooms, but refrained herself from asking him. She found a different subject to talk about.

“So, when are we helping with the royal stuck-up ghoul guy?”

Asgore immediately chuckled at her reference. “I noticed you haven’t taken Doctor Gaster all too well,” he said, “Please don’t be offended by his behavior. He takes his machine too seriously along with his work.” He saw the monster servants delivering trays of food. “Your presence is affecting his progress. A new direction to his… experiments.” He took a small teacup to his lips. He sniffed it before sighing. “Please cooperate. This is for the best, for you and your boys.”

Calypso puffed her cheeks, “Okay, okay.” Sans seated next to her and handed Papyrus to her lap. She saw a small piece of food and feed it to the small skeleton. “What’s this snack?” she asked, watching Papyrus indulge every bite.

“Scones,” the king answers. Calypso grimaced. “Scones always taste so bland,” she thought, “like bagels.”

She noticed that the little skeleton started getting jumpy and twitchy. Sans watched, taking another bite of a fruit. “Does it have sugar?” Asgore nodded before flinching at Papyrus’ squeal.


	5. A New Lab Partner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster scanned Sans and received unexpected results. Calypso is alarmed, going through memory lane.

Sans waved at Calypso before getting to the carriage. She watched as it rolled away into the road. Papyrus kept waving while holding her hand. “Let’s go inside, Papyrus,” she said, edging him back into the castle. Today is the first day Sans enters Gaster’s lab and help with his research. Since Calypso made a cover story about being a sheltered human, Gaster assumed she doesn’t have a credible background with his research. Sans was about to protest until his mum hold him off with a bitter smile.

When Sans entered Gaster’s lab, he wrote notes of what she knows so far, and what he could remember, from his current project in his university. Gaster didn’t probe any questions about which school he attended from, but he was impressed with Sans’ notes.

Gaster hummed in thought. “Using energy from the Dark World… how did you obtain it?”

Sans shrugged, “A human gave it to me.” The Skeleton remembered about Kris and their adventures with Sally. He never took them seriously until he and his lab buddies scanned the substance a year ago. 

Gaster glanced at Sans before rushing to the desks with the monitors. “If I may, I would like to scan you. After the teleportation with your machine, your body should be showing signs of any radiation. Especially since your machine disappeared without a trace.” The Skeleton sweat a bit, looking the other way. Sans lied about that part. When he was questioned about his research and his lab, Sans lied about doing "leisurely research" and that his machine "vanished."

Sans gulped. He turn to the doorway where he can see the view of the lava pools. “Does this require any poke of a needle?” The ghoul shook his head.

Sans then nodded, “Then, sure. You’ll be surprised to hear I’m-.”

…

“ _Not_ hundred percent monster bones?!” Calypso shouted. She and Sans sat at the dining room table. Papyrus was on a baby seat. Gaster retired to his own apartment after the lab session for the day, which was at the Capitol, while Asgore tended to his royal duties. Sans received a copy of his scan results and shared with the human during dinner. 

Her eyes widen at the paper in her hands. “Sans! Since when?!” she said, gripping the papers tightly, “Were you experimenting your body with Dark World energy?!” He shook his head feverishly, putting his hands up to his chest. “No! Honest! If anything, you should know more than me!”

His remark made Calypso retreated. Her eyes squint in thought. "He's right," she thought, "I babysat him since he was a baby."

Her mind quickly retreated to a fond memory. The Skeleton family.

_Calypso was in her first year of high school when she encountered Mr. and Mrs. Skeleton. Her parents locked her outside for going to a party and it was pitch black outside. It was only 10 PM. Mr. Skeleton noticed her waiting by her parents’ front door and invited her into their house. They were friendly acquaintances to her parents, but not close family friends._

_"I'll be back in the morning," Mr. Skeleton said, walking out again with a suitcase and a trench coat. Mrs. Skeleton kissed him goodbye before escorted the shivering teen to the kitchen. The mother had a big bundle in her arms. She introduced him to Calypso. “His name is Sans,” she said, “We think he’s going to be an_ ace _!”_

_Calypso nodded, seeing his eyelights blink. “He’s already an ace for being adorable,” she thought._

_He started fussing and Mrs. Skeleton frowned, rocking him again. “He just calmed down a second ago,” she said, humming, “It took so long for him to feel_ comfortable _around us.”_

_The teen stretched out her hands, offering. “Let me try, I took care of my little sister when my parents worked.” Mrs. Skeleton didn’t hesitate. Calypso, with her brown thick hair in a ponytail and messy makeup, met Sans’ eyes. Mr. and Mrs. Skeleton has only eyeholes with no indication of pupils, so she was surprised when a pair of bright white eyelights flickered._

_H_ _e cooed before dozing off._

_Mrs. Skeleton moaned in relief, “Finally! Let me prepare a quick cup of tea for you. Or hot cocoa. It’s really cold outside.” Calypso blushed, remembering that she still had her dress and a thin cardigan on. “Thank you!”_

_…_

Back at the castle, the woman noticed hints during her babysitting days with Sans and Papyrus. While they were under their parents’ roof.

“Well… I never saw your parents _before_ they had you,” Calypso said, lowering the papers to the dining table. “After they had Papyrus, I noticed that he has more resemblance to them than you ever did.” Sans flinched. Calypso would rarely mention his parents around Papyrus.

“You did have strange powers,” she paused, “Like teleportation and…” She slammed her hands on the table, standing up. Papyrus noticed and started slapping on the table, giggling.

In Sans' lab, Calypso remembered reading a page about Kris. About when they, along with two friends, went on an adventure in the underground. That's where the Dark World is, before the current timeline.

Sans grimaced, busy with his own meal. “Wh-What?” he prompted.

“The Skeleton species, or at least _you_ , originated from the Dark World. Before the monsters were moved to the underground, your species- I mean you- _whichever_!- are _natives_ underneath.” Coincidentally, Papyrus' clapping synced to her racing heartbeat.

Sans froze while his mum leaned down to him. “You’re a Dark World native. Whatever happened with your parents, they got you out of there and to the surface.” She quickly left the table and started pacing around the room. “What I still don’t get is,” she mumbled, “How did they gain access to the underground in the first place?”

Sans felt confused and lost, watching her stroll around the dining table.

“When I first met them, they told me they were janitors of a human-monster school,” she said. Sans widened his eyes, remembering Kris. The human mentioned about falling through a janitor’s closet.

Calypso continued, “After I graduated, they asked me to adopt you both and...” She remembered something else in her memories.

_When the human babysat baby Sans, she helped change his diaper._

Calypso turn her eyes to the youngest Skeleton who was giggling.

_Papyrus has no diapers. All of the monster food he had consumed when straight to his energy and HP._

She sighed and walked around to Sans' seat. He flinched before he felt her arms wrap around his skull. "This is all confusing, but we'll work it together," she said. She pulled away and smiled at him. "After we get back, we'll ask Kris to visit the Dark World."


	6. A Lab Tour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calypso decided to attend Gaster's Laboratory with Sans. He noticed her new outfit. The human tests one of Gaster's assistants.

“I’m going with you.”

“What? Mum! No!” Sans pleaded, lifting his clipboard to his face. She slipped on her cloak and saw the carriage approach.

“If the _royal scientist_ ,” she mimicked with a nasal tone, “can scan you without my permission, he has another thing coming at him!”

He moan in frustration. “But I’m not a little kid! And I was curious too-.” “No buts! I’m going and he’ll just have to deal with me.” She smiled and turn to her side. “Right, Asgore?”

The goat monster sighed and nodded. He had seen the rage of a mother before, so there’s no use stopping the human.

The human and her oldest son walked behind a dog knight, following him to the carriage. Asgore offered to babysit Papyrus. The small Skeleton was still afraid of him, seeing how they first encountered him at the castle. However, when Asgore put the trident away, Papyrus relaxed. Calypso also felt at ease and bid them goodbye before she and Sans went to the hotlands. After seeing Asgore and him waved, she hopes Papyrus won’t say reveal anything about their Delta Tune timeline origins. Before she sat down, she pulled the hood over her head.

Two dog guards sat in front of the carriage, driving. Sans looked over his mum, seeing her new attire. Instead of her former casual wear of her _mañanita_ , jeans and a blouse, her body was draped with long robes. There was a hood and another layer of headdress towering over her face.

The carriage stopped and Gaster opened the door. Gaster took a seat by Sans and stared through the window. The woman frowned at him.

Sans leaned towards Calypso, whispering, “What’s with the outfit? I can’t see your face.”

Calypso whispered back, “The King told me to. For my ‘ _safety_.’” Her hands gestured the quotations.

Gaster whipped his head back and she put her hands on her lap, badly whistling with a disturbed tune. The carriage stopped and they were escorted from the carriage. Gaster scolded her, “While you’re under his protection, you will not _mock_ the King’s orders.” Even while he scolded her, he helped her down the carriage. She pulled away from him and sighed, feeling her back sore. “Yeah, yeah. Give me a sec.”

Gaster was about to start walking and turn to her in confusion. “What?” The dog guards glanced at her too. Sans shrugged, “She means give her a minute. You know, time.” Gaster glared at them before hearing a long streak of soft cracking. His head turned to his sides, freaking out. “What was that?!”

Cal was stretching her back, leaning backward with both of her arms extended front. She slowly straightened her back and placed her hands on a dog knight. The dog turned to her with questioning eyes. She twisted her waist and another series of cracks followed. The dog guard gaped, its tail wagging fast. Cal let go of the dog monster and sighed in relief, “That was a good stretch.” Gaster was frozen, trying to comprehend what Cal did. He turned away and continued walking. “I don’t have time for this,” he whispered.

…

Cal was gaping at the scenery before being pushed by the guards. The lava pools and new monsters!

Gaster can sense her awe and raise an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say you appeared here?” he asked, walking to the building. Calypso rub the back of her hooded head. “N-Not really, you know,” she shrugged, “a hiding human cooped up in a little monster house.” Sans playfully nodded with her lie, going with her cover story.

Gaster rolled his eyes and open the door for them. They entered and walked through the floors. The walls were bright blue with the floor had blue-grey tiles. It was still bright inside due to the long-lasting lightbulbs. “It feels like a hospital here,” Calypso whispered, seeing a few dormitories. He led them to the elevator where they waited for a few floors down.

There were three monsters that worked with Gaster. One was a bird with its head hung downward, a monster kid with no arms, and a cat monster always have another donut in hand. Her dark brown eyes glanced at him. After he finished one donut, he took out another one through his lab coat pocket.

“Oi, are you a cat monster?” she asked. He flinched at her sudden greeting and nodded. He noticed her Person attire, fully robed and her face hidden in the hood. He doesn’t sense a mischievous look on her face while Sans does.

“I wonder if a cat monster purrs,” she thought.

The elevator dinged as they reached the “BASEMENT FLOOR.” Gaster and Sans walked ahead as the woman poked the cat monster’s shoulder.

Calypso did a quick experiment by rubbing the back of the cat monster’s ears and they purred before Calypso quickly retreated her hand. The cat monster blushed and walked to Gaster’s side.

“Curious about our guests?” Gaster said, not seeing any of that. The cat monster nodded. They walked through a series of hallways. The human felt dizzy, seeing how the plaze was like a maze. Sans was a bit more adjusted, having more accustomed to Gaster's lab after a few days. There was a door opened to a room that he hadn't seen before. Calypso and her son noticed the huge machine with a strange machinery with wires attached to the ceiling. It gave a scary vibes. 

He then led Calypso and Sans out from the building. Her eyes almost popped out of her face. There was a bridge stringing across a lava lake. On the other side was an island where another building was placed. “I- I thought we were in a basement,” she said, looking back and forth.

She stopped in the middle of the long bridge and looked down. Sans stopped too, gazing at the lava. Gaster already noticed by the time he was on the other side. He sighed and ordered his cat monster assistant to “fetch” them.

“Here we are!” Gaster said, opening the door.

Calypso and Sans saw the cluttered laboratory. The floor was walkable… in most areas.

There were metal desks with dials, switches, and monitors. One huge monitor hung from the ceiling in the middle of the room. In the center of the floor, there was a prototype of a box. “We will begin our research here. Welcome to the Royal Commission’s Gaster Laboratory.”


	7. Human V. Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calypso had trouble with her family when she first babysat Sans.

_A young girl narrowed her eyes as she sees teenage Calypso sweeping the floor. It was a weekend and their parents went to a doctor’s appointment. A young boy was in the kitchen. He had one textbook open and his hand jotting notes on a notebook. When Calypso sweeps under the kitchen table, he raised his legs._

_The girl frowned, “Dad was worried about you. When you slept over at the monsters’ house.”_

_Calypso ignored her. She swept to the dustpan and led the remains to the trashcan._

_“He was about to call the police in the morning.”_

_Calypso’s eyebrows furrowing before she sighed. “Well, he didn’t have to lock the front door and ignore my doorbells.” She turns to her sister, pointing a broom towards her. “Can you help with the house?” The sister turned away and raise her smartphone to her face. She had wired earphones to one of her ears. She chose another song before lowering her phone._

_“Nah, I can do it later.”_

_She shifted her seating position on the couch and kept her eyes to Calypso. “I wanna go over the monsters house,” she said, “Can you take me next time?” The older sister shrugged. The girl took that as an offense. “Why not?”_

_“I’m not saying no,” Calypso said, “It’s just that you’re kinda racist.”_

_Their brother took off his headphones and pitched in, “Yeah, Cal’s right.” The sister groaned before taking her attention to her phone completely. Calypso’s phone beeped and she checked. She frowned at her sister, “Can you stop venting about it in your public account?”_

…

_“Why are you visiting the Skeletons’ house every day?” her mother asked, intervening in her bedroom. Calypso recently returned to her house at 11 PM. The teenager shrugged. “I have a job.”_

_Her mother walked over to her bed and sat on the edge. Calypso suddenly felt annoyed. “I know you’re babysitting,” her mom said, “but you don’t have to be there_ every day _.” Calypso put her phone away and sat up. “Both parents are working by the time I’m out from school,” she explained, “They have no one to take care of their boy.”_

_“Then bring them here! I would like to meet them.”_

_Calypso frowned, “But I heard you say you don’t trust monsters.” Her mother suddenly retreated, “Well, if you keep going over to a_ stranger’s _house, just call us if something happens.” Calypso nodded, “Sure, thanks, mom.”_

…

_“You’re adopting them?!”_

_Calypso hung her head while she and her parents were seated in the kitchen. Her younger sister was peeking through the doorway. On the wall that her sister was leaning on, two certificates were hanging. One was Calypso’s bachelor’s degree and the other was her Ph.D. “Your sister told us that you’re adopting two-” her father pressed, “monster- boys!”_

_A few days before, Calypso made up a lie that she’s moving away for an apprenticeship._ _Calypso confided in her siblings that the Skeletons offered her to adopt the monster boys and to move into a new city. Her sister told their parents and they intruded to her room while Calypso was already packing.  
_

_In the kitchen, when her dad waited for confirmation, she replied. “Yes, papa.” Her mother braced herself and gave a long sigh. “Do you even know how to take care of them?” Calypso nodded, “These are the same skeletons I babysat.” “They’re just using you as charity!” her father shouted, standing from his seat._

_Her brother slowly joined his younger sister as their father lectured Calypso. “I trust that you know what you’re doing, but you’ve always overworked yourself.” He pointed to the front door. “If you leave this house, and if you take those monsters with you,” he paused._

_At first, he felt enraged. He first believed that inflicting a punishment would force her to follow his beliefs. However, since he first locked her outside when she sneaked into a party in high school, it caused a rift between Calypso and her parents. He noticed that she avoids her parents’ house as much as she can until it was almost midnight. His eyes softened._

_The human father kneels to her eye level and pat her ponytail head. By this point, she was already in her late twenties. He sighed, “Then don’t hurt yourself. Just visit and call like always.” He hugged her and she return his embrace. “Thanks, papa.”_

_Her mother glared at him before agreeing with his support. “I was expecting grandchildren, but not like this.”_

…

“Lady Calypso?”

Her eyes shift from Asgore’s family portrait to the goat monster. He was passing by when he saw the woman staring at the painting. He walked to her side, looking up. “Oh, that’s my family.” Calypso nodded, gazing at Toriel, Asriel, and a small human child. The children reminded her of her own siblings. “Yeah, they look adorable.”


	8. Sightseeing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The machine is almost finished. Gaster began to tolerate Calypso's presence in his lab. Both the ghoul and the skeleton grew nervous over her oversharing.

The woman continued to visit Gaster’s laboratory after a few days. Gaster tried to protest, but Asgore told him to “Cooperate with lady Calypso.” with her head poked out of his side, smiling smugly. Plus, the lab is warmer because of the lava. Calypso hasn't feel accustomed to the cold monster castle yet.

At the laboratory, she found a broom shoved behind a couple of archives. She started sweeping the floor and grab whichever paper was on the floor.

“This lab is pretty advanced,” Calypso mumbled, looking through the rooms. Her head turned to the windows where she could see the lava pools. Asgore told her about Gaster's successful creations. “Even at this old fashioned timeline," she thought, "an advanced energy system like the CORE powers everything here.”

She felt a sore pain again and stretched. Her shoulders cracked and then her spine and neck. Just when Gaster entered, he sees her twisted body position and walked out. She stopped and started chuckling, reaching a hand out and straightened herself. “Wait! I’m done!” she shouted.

When he walked back in, he had a displeased look. She laughed harder, “Sorry! I didn’t mean to spook you.” She took note that her bones cracking is a disturbing sound to him.

…

“The machine is almost finished,” Gaster said. “The assistants were able to test every part before installing it. Nothing should go wrong.”

Sans sighed, looked troubled. He glanced at his mum, who was moving around with a broom. Gaster questioned his expression and the skeleton shrugged.

He wanted to ask, “What if the machine sends us further to another timeline?” He stared at the blue machine and gaze at the metal desk with the dials. He narrowed his eyesockets, trying to figure out what went wrong the first time.

Calypso picked up a newspaper from the floor and read through the first page. After turning to the next one, she immediately smiled. There was a picture of monsters playing in the snow. They wore puffed coats, jackets, and cute paired of gloves or mittens. They were making snow figures of monsters. The title page read, “Snowdin! Where winter wonderland happens!” 

She hurried over to where Gaster and Sans were gathering. She didn’t take note of their heavy tension. “Sans, look! Isn’t it cute?”

Gaster raised an eyebrow, “What? The monster children?”

She shook her head, “Yes and no, but imagine building a house there! In case this project takes too long, we can build a vacation home!”

Sans’ eyes sparkled. His grin grew wider. “Sure, I bet you miss the snow though.” Calypso hugged the newspaper to her chest, reminiscing. “Ah, yeah. It reminds me of my old lovers.”

Gaster and Sans grimaced. She continues to gush over. “I remembered my first boyfriend in high school. Then my first ever _serious_ college boyfriend! We would always take walks in the park during the winter!” She sighed in contentment. She started patting the Skeleton's head softly.

“Sans, if you ever meet a lovely Skeleton, treat her to all the hot cocoas with cute little marshmallows." She leaned her head to Gaster. "Ooohh, the memories!” She planted an elbow to the ghoul’s elbow, much to his discomfort, and lean onto his side.

She pointed to herself, “This girl used to be a big heart-breaker. Guys just couldn’t take me seriously.” The ghoul shifted away from her, blushing himself. She almost fell.

Gaster mumbled, “I wonder why.”

He then noticed a fault in her story. “Wait, you went to college? In the underground?” he asked. Calypso was already out the door. Sans sighed in relief, knowing that their cover story is slightly safe.


	9. Small Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans is feeling tired and the progress with the machines is slowly progressing. Calypso brought treats to the lab, but feels betrayed after finding the source of the supplied Dark World energy. The ghoul and the human have a private chat.

The machine is almost complete. Almost. In short tests, the machine somehow overheats and need constant repairs. Gaster was growing frustrated. Calypso also noticed that Sans was acting more tired. She saw him almost napping at the break room a few times. She worried for both scientists and brought snacks to the lab. One of her hands held a cardboard basket of coffee cups and the other with a blue box of pastries and sweet monster fruits.

Gaster, growing more used to her presence, still scolded her for bringing the blue-boxed goods. “Absolutely not!” he said, taking her box and walked to the front of the building. "Our break room is not that far-.”

“What about your cat assistant?! He’s been eating donuts from his endless pockets!” Calypso protested, “And not far?! It’s on the other side of that long bridge!” Gaster frowned at her and she stomp her foot down. “You boys are tired. I can see that. It’s just snacks, that’s all.” She snatched the box full of donuts and fruits and walked back to his lab. He sighed, shaking his head. “We can’t have any crumbs by the machines!” The human felt him grab the blue box and she set the coffee basket on the ground.

Gaster’s assistants and Sans watched as Gaster and Calypso performed a tug of war with the blue cardboard box.

The bird monster assistant said, “5 monster bucks that it’ll fall over the lava.”

The cat monster added, munching on their donut, “10 monster bucks that she’ll throw Dr. Gaster over the bridge.”

The armless kid monster assistant lastly said, “100 monster bucks that they’ll both fall into the lava.”

Sans flinched and glared at monster kid. “Kid! That’s my mum you’re talking about!” He quickly teleported to them and snatched the box. He teleported back into the lab where the snacks are safe, and to stop his mum and the ghoul from fighting by the lava pools.

When Gaster finally relaxed and return to the lab, the human followed behind him and saw him grab a scone. The ghoul plopped to his seat and took a bite. He noticed her staring and frowned, seeing her smug smile. She said, “I knew you guys were hungry~.” She turned around and took a walk to the other building, crossing the bridge.

...

The human had an idea. After seeing Sans pass out in the lab, she decided to review their papers and try adding her own physics knowledge to it.

“Sure, it’s a lot of reading,” she thought to herself. When she entered a room full of archives, she saw overstuffed drawers. She sighed, “But I can’t be a cleaning lady. I’ll be the ‘back-end’ researcher.” She criticized the lack of color. The archives were metal grey. No pastel colors. Not even vanilla white!

Calypso was stretching over the doorway again before seeing a drawer labeled with the current week date.

Calypso skimmed through the latest binder, trying to see where they supplied Dark World energy. They had a scarce source of it, so they could only perform small tests with the machine. She found the page and widen her eyes. Her left hand was holding the spine of the binder while her right hand traced the report.

There was a portrait of Sans. Then an increase to the supply of Dark World matter. The scientists are extracting the Dark World essence from Sans. That's why Sans was tired.

Something inside her snapped. Her eyes were dazed and distant. She tucked the binder under her arm and walked back to the lab. Her feet marched from the first building, through the long bridge, and into the laboratory. Her robes covered her feet and she didn’t trip once. If other monsters had seen her, it looked like River Person just floating by. Her speed was elegant.

Gaster was about to stand up from his desk. He sees Calypso and sighed, “What is it now, human-?”

Both of his sides are trapped by her arms, making him lean backwards onto the desk. He paused when he saw the look in her eyes. Although she looked furious, he felt intimidated in a whole new direction. Something also snapped in Gaster. Unlike Calypso, his feelings went to a whole different direction. He blushed and tried to stop blushing before the human yelled at him.

“You sick, essence reaper-!”

“I- I beg your pardon-?” he said, eyes wide. He noticed a binder open on the floor, dropped when she trapped him on his desk. He noticed the date, Sans’ portrait, and flinched. The human scowled and leaned closer, “You better beg before I-!”

“Mum?!”

Sans’ eyes were wide, dropping a coffee cup at the doorway. At first, he entered at the wrong timing, but maybe right timing. He saw their position and thought Calypso was going to kiss Gaster. However, when he saw her intense expression, he noticed she was more than angry.

Calypso retreated her form away from Gaster and marched towards Sans. She grabbed him by the wrist. “Mum, what-?!” She pulled him away from the lab.

“After I volunteered my time-!” With the same elegant fast-walk like before, her feet storms through the hallway. “Making sure my son is safe-!” Gaster’s assistants noticed her and moved out of the way. “That you are sucking the life out of him!” Sans tried planting his feet to the floor, but that only made him stumble. She continued dragging him across the floor. As though his weight never affected her.

Gaster felt… distraught. After seeing Calypso grab Sans and disappeared after the doorway, he felt a strong urge to chase her. Before she met the front entrance, Gaster shouted.

“Wait! Calypso!”

She halted, never hearing him call her by her name before. Sans took this chance to get back on his feet. Calypso still didn’t let go of his wrist. They see Gaster rushing through the hallway. He panted after reaching them.

She spat out, “What?”

“We couldn’t find any energy trace of the Dark World Here,” he explained. He gulped, standing up and motioned with his hands. “Sans. He volunteered for the extraction-.” He grimaced when she whipped her head to the Skeleton. Sans started sweating nervously. “You did?” He nodded, looking away. She turned to Gaster, “So you never forced him?”

The ghoul shook his head, “No, never.”

Calypso’s lips tightened. Sans felt her grip on him disappear and saw her walk out of the building. Gaster almost rushed out, looking after her. Sans felt guilty, not knowing what to do. He turned to the ghoul, “Best to let her release some steam… I’ll get us some coffee.”

Gaster only nodded, still facing Calypso’s direction. The Skeleton sighed before going back to the lab. After seeing Sans gone, Gaster took this chance to have a private talk with the human.

Calypso was standing in the middle of the bridge, gazing down at the lava. Gaster approached her and stood by her side.

“If Sans sent you, tell him I’m not mad,” she said.

Gaster gulped, “No, no, he didn’t.” The human narrowed her eyes, still facing the lava below her. The ghoul started fidgeting with a pen in his pocket of his lab coat.

“You’re one of the few monsters I trust,” she suddenly said, “You know that, right?”

He cleared his throat, “No, no, I didn’t.”

Calypso crossed her arms and planted them by the railing. “Asgore told me about the human souls you’ve extracted.” She turned to him. “You just need one more. Why haven’t you guys dealt with me?” Her hands tightened. “Why waste more time with that machine _than_ use me?”

Gaster sighed, gazing at the lava. His mind recollects his employment under King Asgore. He had moments of awe when he extracted souls from the fallen humans, but he remembered Asgore’s expression whenever a new human soul was added to his collection.

“Despite our human encounters, Asgore always favored the path of peace,” he said, “He tried stalling any battles with humans that fell. Some of the souls belongs to humans who passed from old age or accidents.”

She rubbed her eyes, “Thanks. Now I feel better.” Her annoyed tone made her sound sarcastic, but Gaster wasn’t bothered by her reply.

Gaster look at her, smiling. He noticed the light from the lava illuminating her face under her hood. “I never knew someone with so much compassion. You know that, right?”

The lava lake occasionally hissed. She smiled back, “Well, that’s because you haven’t met all humans. There’s more people that are nicer than me.”

He quickly responded, “Yes, I believed that.” She started laughing.

Sans watched from the front entrance of the lab with two cups of coffee in his hands. He remain standing by the building and took a sip from one of the cups. The Skeleton saw the human and ghouls exchange smiles. “Heh, I wonder if Pap will warm up to him.”


	10. A Small Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calypso is sick. Gaster pays her a visit. Asgore had a serious chat with Sans.

First, the human had a sneezing fit. As the day progressed, the woman continued clearing her throat. On the following day, she was coughing, feeling a sore throat growing. She panicked and drank cups of tea, but monster tea could only give her energy than ease her physical senses of her body. Before she reached to the carriage, her legs weakened and her legs stumble. Asgore quickly took her to her room and told her to change back to her pajamas. She tried to protest until she felt her face heated. She nodded and went back to bed. Ever since she slept, her body began shivering and her slumber grew long.

Sans told Gaster about his mum’s condition, so Gaster dismissed his assistants and called a carriage to Asgore’s castle. Sans was noticing his behavior around Calypso. The frustrating thing was how she still acted nonchalant with him. Yes, she became more comedic around the ghoul, but she never reciprocated the lovestruck gaze that Gaster subconsciously grants her.

“I don’t think she even notice,” he thought, seeing Gaster sitting next to her bed.

She had her eyes closed. Warm tears streaked on her face. Gaster flinched, not knowing what to do. His head turn to her oldest son, “Why is she crying?” Sans’ smile tightened, “She’s not crying. That’s just her body reacting to the cold.”

“Then why is she shivering? Her body temperature is rising.”

The Skeleton’s smile faltered. “That’s a human fever,” he explained. “While us monsters are only fatigued and disabled when we’re ‘sick,’ the human body have mechanisms in which it fights against other stuff that we don’t have, like germs, bacteria.”

Gaster turn to Calypso, seeing her body shift sides on the bed. Sans walked to him and glanced at her too. “Don’t wake her up. She needs full sleep,” he paused, “Lucky for us, she’s a deep sleeper. So, our voices won’t bother her as much.”

Her eyes slightly opened. A few tears crossed her face. “You’re not talking smack about me, are you?” Gaster noticed the difference between her usual voice and the tired, hoarse voice. Her son laughed, “Nah, I’ll do it when you’re better.” She closed her eyes, smiling a bit, before she went back to sleep. Gaster furrowed, “I don’t think she saw me.”

The Skeleton almost wanted to laugh, seeing how Gaster wanted her attention. Sans shrugged, “Yeah, well, she’ll wake up later.” Asgore walked in and Gaster quickly stood up, “My king!” The goat monster quickly motioned with him to quiet down. In his arm, he was holding Papyrus. “No need for a formal greeting.”

Papyrus, as if he knows about the quietness of the room, didn’t yell or cried. He waited until Asgore placed him on her bed that he started crawling to her side. Asgore retreated back to the doorway, “It’s best not to crowd the room. I’ll call for dinner soon.” Gaster help tuck Papyrus under her blanket and return to his seat.

Sans noticed his worried look and rolled his eyes. “This guy is really crushing on her, hard,” he thought, leaving the room. The ghoul watched as the smaller Skeleton snuggled with his mum. Papyrus' eyeholes fluttered before he fell asleep.

The royal scientist felt vulnerable. Sans’ answers helped him ease a bit, but Gaster had seen dead humans before. Whether they were killed by battle, aged to their maximum potential, or from an accident, their bodies were wheeled into his lab. Calypso’s sleeping form had much more color than the corpses he had seen. He noticed the slight rise and fall of her chest. He leaned closer, pressing his head to her body where her heart is.

The ghoul could hear a certain pattern of soft thuds. Calypso shifted. He quickly pulled himself away and saw her arms cuddle with her youngest son.

"Was- was that her heart?" he thought, "Heart beating?"

Again, the underground aren’t advanced with human medicine or any treatment. They only have machines that detect energy waves. Only the Extraction machine can interfere, with the main purpose of extracting human souls from their body. No one has a machine that detects a human’s pulse or record their heart rates. The ghoul gulped and glanced out the window. For the first time, he's hoping that this human would live.

…

“Gaster postponed the lab sessions for a week?” the king monster asked. Sans nodded, eating soup. “Yeah, and I just told him about mum this morning.”

Asgore gently smiled. He turns to the Skeleton and tapped on his cup. “You know, your mother and Gaster are growing close. Are you fine with that?” The grinning monster shrugged. “I don’t know how to feel about that,” he confesses, “As long as he helps her with my brother, I don’t mind.” He took another spoonful of broth.

The goat monster stood from the table and walked to the huge Delta Rune banner. “I remember when I first met Toriel. I was still a prince going to a small school.” Sans almost spat out his juice box. “We parted in bad terms, but I have a feeling Calypso and Gaster have their own complex dynamic.”

Sans widen his eyes, new to this Asgore’s story in this current timeline.

“I am asking because Gaster is a close friend of mines. Even as one of my subjects," he paused, "Loving a human, I never ruled it as an impossible thing, but I never expected it from the royal scientist.”

Immediately, the Skeleton monster felt uncomfortable. No one wants to talk about their parents' love life. He hope to keep that discussion short.

“Asgore- King Asgore?” Sans said, raising one of his eyebrows.

Asgore sighed. “Even if the machine doesn’t work, I will not extract her soul.” He turn to him. “But if she dies, Gaster can’t face this decision alone. Sans, will you make the final decision in dealing with her soul?”


	11. Her Dreamscape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting sick, Calypso had a weird dream. On the other hand, Dream told Ink about his progress in saving Stradakum.

Calypso opened her eyes, seeing the familiar person. A woman with her face covered in a thick fog.

“It’s… that lady again,” she thought. Suddenly, more memories of this vision came back to her. She was floating in midair and her hair acted like it was floating underwater.

Soon, an orb of light appeared and the random woman in the grey nightgown disappeared. Instead, another creature took her place. It was a Skeleton, with a golden headband, sun-marked scarf, and a different formal attire. The monster gave Calypso an adventurer-vibe.

However, the Skeleton look like he was actually seeing her. Not just a vision. He acted like he recognizes her.

His feet ran across the invisible ground and reached to her. The human noticed her body was floating above him but remained on the same spot. “Str-Stradakum?!”

His hands quickly grasp her arms and pulled her to the ground. Her eyes felt dazed, but she’s trying to focus. “Who?”

The Skeleton’s smile faltered. “Do- Do you remember me?” he asked, “Do you know what this place is?”

Her hair waved with the thick air. He sat in a cross-legged position and pulled her body into a hug. “I think we’re in your dreamscape,” he said, holding her tighter, “Don’t you remember me? It’s me, Dream.”

Calypso’s eyes fluttered and her body relaxed. “That’s too bad,” she said.

He pulled away. He granted her a confused look. “I don’t remember dreams,” she said. She had a slight shiver. "Oh, right. I got sick," she mumbled, feeling her conscious waking up. Slowly, her body was fading.

“Wait, you can’t go,” he said, “Night is still looking for you. He’s going to hurt you when he has a chance!” He embraced her again. “Just… stay where you are. I’ll find you.”

Dream felt her form disappeared and his arms caved into his chest. He lowered his arms to his legs and sighed.

…

Dream opened his eyes and saw Ink crouching towards him. He tumbled and fell back. “Ink! Don’t do that! I was in the middle of something!” The monster artist grinned, “So, did you ‘connect’ any links to your old friend?”

Dream sat up and rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, but she’s not the same,” he explained, “She looks like her, but everything felt different.” Ink quickly summoned a few pages of certain universes and gazed over.

Ink clapped, “I think you met an alternate version of her. I’m sorry to say, but we can’t pull her out from a story she’s meant to be in.” Dream sighed, standing up. “Yeah, yeah…” He pouted. Ink noticed and turn to the floating pages. “We have to keep an eye out for your brother. Nightmare is completely obsessed!”


	12. Hand Covers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asgore finds out Calypso is house-shopping. He gives her a gift. Papyrus is starting to have separation anxiety.

Calypso recovered from her cold after two weeks. Gaster, with permission from the king, visit her for a bit before working at his lab. When she fully recovered, the ghoul advised her to continue resting. Calypso, thinking he overexaggerates, tried to join Sans in the carriage before her son held up his hand. “No can do, mum. At least stay home with Papyrus.”

So now she’s stuck on the library with her Skeleton toddler. Asgore found them and noticed her holding a newspaper with a picture of Snowdin. “Asgore, do you know any good houses in Snowdin?” she asked.

He grew ecstatic at her question, giving her advice on monster housing. “There’s plenty of space to build a new one!” Papyrus crawled away to the aisles of the bookshelves.

“You should find a nice home while the machine is still tested!” Asgore said, “Have you thought about how many rooms? Kitchens? Oh, imagine a garage!”

She pats his hands gently. Underneath his hands was the newspaper that she was reading. “Slow down, king! Three bedrooms yes, but not two kitchens,” she said. Her body sat back to the chair in the dining area. She pursed her lips, “I’m still thinking if we even need a house.” Asgore turn to her, “Oh, and why’s that?”

Calypso’s smile faltered a bit. She doesn’t want to say that Asgore looked too lonely. “Papyrus took a liking towards you,” she paused, “and Snowdin is by the Ruins, which is very far.”

Asgore smiled, “I’ll always visit. You know how I visit the lab with Papyrus a few times.” He paused, trying to word his next message carefully. He felt like he was criticizing Calypso’s parental skills, but he decided to be honest with her. He continued, “But, if I may, I would say that Papyrus misses you more. You should rest with your family, take a break from the lab, even if you're not active with the experiments.”

For some reason, Calypso felt déjà vu. Didn’t the other Asgore said the same thing?

The goat monster’s eyes lit up from nowhere. “Oh! The snow! That reminds me-.”

The King walked to a drawer and retrieved a black box with a purple bow on top. “Sans told me how cold the castle is. Maybe that’s why you were sick,” he explained, “so I ordered a pair accustomed for you.”

“A pair?”

The black box was shimmering with glitter and glossed over. It felt smooth. Calypso lift the top lid and saw a pair of medium leather brown gloves. “These should keep you warm,” he said. He then rubbed the back of his neck. “And to stop you from touching monsters’ necks with your cold fingers.”

Calypso granted him a cocky smile, “Aw! Thank you!”  
…

The monster king was right. On the next day, Papyrus started acting more clingy to Calypso, wanted to go with her when she was leaving. This time, Sans stayed behind. Since Calypso found out about the source of Dark World energy, she forced him to take naps and now resting at the castle when he’s not needed. “Go to bed now, sleepy bones!” she scolded, patting Sans head. “Once I get back, we can take a small tour to Snowdin.”

When the carriage arrived, Papyrus started crying. “Muuum!” He extended his arms to her. She scooped him up and gushed. “Aw! I already miss you too!” she said, peppering his skull with kisses before returning him to Sans. She shed the red scarf from her head and wrapped it around Papyrus’ neck. She slipped on her hoodie and hopped into the carriage and waved to them through the window. “Don’t worry! I’ll be back!”


	13. The Experiment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calypso visits Gaster's laboratory at a certain timing. Gaster and his assistants are eager to start an experiment, but the human tries stalling time.

Doubts filled the human’s mind. She’d voiced them with Sans about the machine’s outcome occasionally. If the machine works, will it unlock the barrier? Or will it transport them to the previous timeline? What if they meet an entirely different outcome?

The human walked into the laboratory with a broom in hand. With her other hand, she twisted the fabric of her _mañanita_. She felt that her new gloves and her traditional poncho completes her look. She still has to wear robes under it though. After entering the lab, she noticed that the floor was already spotless.

The machine stood in the room. Unlike its previous broken state, it was in one piece. Around the machine were wires that lead to metal canisters. Sans was in charge with designing the machines and Gaster tweaked it a few times.

By the walls, there were more wires that charge power to the metal canisters. The monster cat glanced at her before checking the active dials. The arrows were going back and forth before becoming still to a single number. The bird monster finished the last bite of a bagel and slipped their lab coat on. They checked the switched and nodded to Gaster. The woman noticed the beeping sounds, indicating that the machine is powered on.

The ghoul was standing by the machine. His head turns to her and spoke in a serious tone. “I think we’ve done it.”

“Oh? Already?” she asked, leaving the broom against a wall. She walked to where Gaster was holding a huge switch. “Yes, but please take cover. I’m not sure if it’s completely safe.”

She sweat-dropped. “But you have a switch right next to the machine,” she pointed out, “That’s not a _small_ design flaw.” He blushed and quickly spat out, “Just please take a seat!” She sighed and sat by the nearest desk. “It’s probably going to break again,” she thought.

But then she remembered. Gaster succeeded with the CORE energy supply. She felt nervous again. She cleared her throat, “If you’re so sure, shouldn’t we wait until Sans recover from his sleep? Or have an audience with Asgore?”

He frowned, “And embarrass myself in front of the king? No, but after this latest run, I can summon Sans tomorrow for our meeting.” Her gloved hands tightened into fists.

Gaster’s hands were both on the large switch handle. “Alright. Please watch the readings.” All his assistants nodded. Cal felt uncertain about this.

She stood from the desk and walked to the machines. “Gaster, I have total faith in you, _rarely_ -.” Gaster frowned. He took his hands off the switch and crossed his arms. She continued, “Anyway, I feel like something dangerous is about to happen. How about we take a break today?”

Gaster turn to his assistants and noticed that they were eager as him. His head turns back to Calypso, “Cal, you don’t have to worry.” He smiled, leaning onto the switch with his body, “I’ll take care of you if anything happens. Now watch-!” His body was too relaxed that the switch was pushed down with his weight. He quickly got up as the machine started making whirring sounds.

The ground started to rumble. Calypso was just staring, curious. The shaking continued for a couple more seconds and Gaster quickly swung his arm in front of Cal. She looked at him with an eyebrow raised until smoke steamed through the room. The monster kid with the lab coat shouted from the desk.

“The machine is heating up!”

The human felt strong grips on her upper arms and was pulled to the scientist. He started taking her away from the machine. “Quick, we have to go-!”

…

Calypso felt nostalgic. Her body felt heavy and she fell forward. She was waiting to feel the ground slam onto her body, but she kept falling. Then, a sensation of being swallowed into a thick substance surrounded her body. She raises her arms outward, only to see that her arms weren’t covered in robes. She looked at herself and noticed she was wearing a grey nightgown, and her mañanita over it. Her hair was falling to her shoulders with no restrains from braids or her usual bun.

“Wake up.”

For a moment, she thought she saw Gaster’s faint face, now with certain cracks by his ghoulish eyes. His glowing white eyelights gaze into hers before her consciousness slips again.

She heard a whisper.

“I’m sorry. I’m always clumsy around you.”


End file.
